


That's what friends are for

by another_maggies



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, TW: Conversion Therapy, TW: Homophobia, TW: Mention of canon suicide attempt, Toni's sitting on this sofa like she doesn't give a shit about anything, also if you love Josie maybe don't read IDK, basically what I think will go down at Thistle House on Wednesday night, btw the promo inspired me, it's the funniest to me, kinda companion piece to Cheryl's solo 'Convert', misleading title me thinketh, or read and let me know your thoughts, read that if you're intrigued, tw: Penelope Blossom being terrible as always, tw: canon stalking, tw: mention of canon rape attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 15:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14108253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/another_maggies/pseuds/another_maggies
Summary: Penelope gives Josie a drawing. It looks suspiciously like another drawing Josie once recieved... (basically what I expect to go down at Thistle House in 2*17).





	That's what friends are for

If Toni had known that bringing Veronica and Josie would have Penelope Blossom fess up within mere seconds after their arrival at Thistle House she would have brought them sooner.

“We don't think Cheryl is at boarding school in Switzerland. She was so worried about her grandmother. It doesn't make any sense for her to just up and leave like that,” Veronica explains their doubts on the fabulously fishy story, much like Toni has voiced hers at the beginning of the week.

Only, instead of being banished out of Thistle House, the response the raven haired girl gets is a simple: “Yes.”

“Surprise, surprise,” Toni murmurs angrily.

“Cheryl needed help,” Penelope goes on, purposefully ignoring her. On the way in she tried to slam the door in front of the Southsider. Luckily, Josie got in the way of that.

“As her _mother_ I felt it was my obligation to know when too many lines had been crossed.” She sighs, her eyes closing for a moment. Toni can't help but think that she wouldn't mind if they stayed like that forever. “I tried. I really did.”

Toni snorts, her relaxed position on the sofa a reminder of the fact that she is not at all intimidated by the Blossom matriarch. (She knows someone who is, though).

“I couldn't help her. So I got professionals involved,” Penelope finishes, folding her hands.

“That's a really nice sob story,” Toni praises – fake clap and all -, “But that doesn't explain why Cheryl's gone, like, at all.”

The older woman crosses her arms in front of her chest. She won't reward Toni with an answer, as much is obvious.

“What I think Toni is trying to say,” Veronica elaborates as the self appointed mediator between mother and, well, kinda-not-really daughter-in-law, “is that Cheryl could go to a therapist in Riverdale. Or Greendale, if there's nobody specialized in PTSD in town.”

It's Penelope's turn to snort. Or rather, snort in the lady like way only Blossom women can snort in (and maybe, _maybe_ , Lodges). “Please. What would Cheryl have PTSD from?”

Toni's eyebrows almost jump off her forehead. She's furious.

“What would Cheryl have PTSD from? Mh, I don't know. Her brother's murder? Her brother's murder _er_? Attempted rape? Attempted suicide?!”

The way everybody's eyes widen when Toni mentions the suicide attempt doesn't slip her mind. On two of their faces emotions show, if only for a brief moment.

Josie looks hurt. Surely, she didn't know. Veronica looks guilty. _As she should_ , Toni thinks. Even though the #1 Varchie advocate is currently on a mission with her, the way she and her friends reacted to Cheryl's ultimate cry for help was far from adequate.

Penelope's face is void of emotion. She reaches down to the coffee table to grab a neatly folded paper.

“I wanted to avoid this,” she states coldly, “But you leave me no choice...”

She reaches forward, offering the paper for Josie to take. Confused, the lead of the pussycats takes the paper and begins to unfold it.

Recognition hits Toni. And shit's about to go down.

“I don't understand,” Veronica says.

“No,” Penelope says, arms crossed, voice like venom, “But Josie does, don't you?”

 

 

It's no surprise to Toni that they find themselves running after one third of their 'save Cheryl Blossom' squad a few minutes later. Unfortunately, Josie's seat had been located next to the door (every flight attendant would have been proud of the seemingly prepared way she made her exit).

“Josie,” Veronica calls, “Josie wait up!”

Toni is in front of her, despite being shorter. To be fair, she's wearing better shoes for this whole rescue thing. Veronica is really struggling to keep up in her Louis Vuitton's.

There's no point in crying out the other girl's name. She's mere meters apart from them. She also doesn't appear willing to stop any time soon.

“Josie,” Veronica continues, nevertheless.

Surprisingly, the younger singer reacts to that, turning around. Three times a charm. Who would have known? (Or maybe it was just Veronica. Making Penelope confess. Making Josie turn around. Maybe it's a gift).

“What? Do you want to tell me that it's ' _not that bad_ '?” Josie doesn't wait for an answer. “Because if that's what you want to tell me...” She shakes her head. “You really don't have a clue.”

“Well, it's just a drawing,” Veronica contributes uncertainly.

“ _Just a drawing_??” Josie shakes her head again, curls flying everywhere. Then she turns on her heel and continues walking.

“Josie,” Veronica calls, tortured. It's probably not so much from the unknown story behind Cheryl's (pretty fabulous, like, _damn_ girl) sketch as from the gravel and the heels combined with the other girl's long strides.

Toni lunges forward to gently – in a way that's gentle given the action – grab Josie's wrist.

“OW! Let go off me!” the latter demands.

“Come on, Josie. Just breathe for a minute, ok?” Toni suggests.

“Breathe?” Josie shakes her off. Well. Toni lets go of her, more like. (But whatever works).

“Yeah, breathe,” Veronica seconds, “What's so wrong with a drawing? Are you mad Cheryl hid that talent from you? She hid that from all of us, so it really is not that big of a deal.” She really has no idea.

“You really have no clue, do you?” Josie asks, her eyes narrowing.

Veronica snorts. (Yep, Lodges can do it in the lady like way of Blossoms. #confirmed). “Actually, yes, I don't think I do.”

“Let me tell you then. I had a 'secret admirer' a couple of weeks ago, sending me all kind of creepy stuff. The worst part...” The ex junior mayor inhales, closes her eyes. It's easy to tell that she sees it in front of her behind closed lids. “The worst part was when he sent me a drawing of me. It read ' _If I can't have you no one can_ '. And it totally looked like the one Mrs. Blossom just showed us.”

Taken aback, Veronica blinks. “Oh well, that's...”

“Wait. That's not all,” Josie shushes her, “With the picture came... a pig's heart.”

“...not so bad- Wait, _whaaaaat_?”

“ _She_ blamed Chuck,” she continues with little compassion for her friend's confusion, “And I reported him.” She feels her ears go hot at the thought. “Clearly, I should have reported someone else. But it never crossed my mind that she'd ever...”

“No. No, why would it?” Veronica seconds, her hand on Josie's arm. She's overcome her own state of mind within seconds to comfort her friend. It's really amazing in a way. (Maybe she's got more than one gift. Or she just is really good at compartmentalizing).

For a minute or so nobody speaks, then Josie murmurs in a tiny voice: “Maybe her mom's right.”

Again, Toni is very lucky to have eyebrows that physically can't leave her face. They do almost reach her hairline, though, the way she raises them.

“What did you say?”

Josie's head shoots up. The anger is back. “You heard me. What she did... it wasn't right. Maybe she needs to get help.”

“Have you heard her mom? She's sent her to conversion therapy! Do you even know what that is, McCoy?”

Josie shrugs. Evidently, she doesn't. “If it helps her...”

“It's torture! It's idiot Christians telling her she's sinning. That her feelings are unnatural, invalid, that she's...” Toni blinks, Cheryl's lips moving as she uttered the word fresh on her mind. As if that night at Pop's was yesterday. “...deviant.”

“Well, it's not exactly normal to send a person a pig's heart,” Josie scoffs.

Veronica bites her lower lip. She can't disagree with that. But she can also see that conversion therapy is nothing to take lightly.

“Jesus Christ,” Toni exclaims using the Lord's name in vain without any second thoughts, “So she fucked up one time. Right after she escaped a rape attempt that nobody ever fucking asked about again, by the way. How many times did she step into the breach for you before that one damn thing happened? How many times?”

It silences both of the other girls, but Toni can tell that the young singer still has something to say.

“What is it, Josie?” She doesn't try to hide her annoyed tone at all.

“It's just... you appear very unfazed by this.”

Veronica looks up at that, thoughtful. Indeed, Toni has been the calmest – up until this little blaspheme outburst a second ago – during the whole exchange.

Toni sighs. “It's because she told me, ok? It wasn't news to me. I knew.”

“ _You knew?_ ” Now, Josie is _really_ mad. “You knew and you didn't tell me? You let me stay over at her house, sleep in her room when you know of her crazy obsession–“

“ _Cheryl_ 's not crazy,” Toni fires back, stressing the name her opposition is so blatantly obvious trying to keep off her tongue. “Or obsessed with you. FYI. She made a mistake. But she's not dangerous. The only dangerous person in this situation is her mother, who abuses her. Who is willing to put her through illegal therapy because of her sexuality!”

“She sent me a pig's heart!”

“She sent me a pig's heart,” Toni mimicks. She's sick of this shit.

Always the peace seeker (Betty must be rubbing off on her) Veronica puts a hand on her arm. “Toni...”

“No.” Shaking her off is easy. “You claim to be Cheryl's friends, but what are you really? Friends don't abandon their friend when they're in need. All you do is abandon her. After her suicide attempt you went to a bloody high school dance! And after Nick St. Creature's attempt to rape her you didn't once question her taking a bribe to keep quiet! You don't really care, you never did! So. Go! Go home and sulk about the fact that your 'friend' made a stupid fucking mistake, while said friend is enduring God knows what as punishment for something that's a beautiful, wonderful part of her! A part of her she's been keeping buried, afraid of how you'd react if she ever told anybody. A part of her that she's only just growing into and that might very well be destroyed forever as we're speaking! Go home, abandon her again! But I'm telling you now, that if you leave right now, you're leaving forever. I won't tolerate you coming close to her. Ever. Again.”

Toni is breathing heavily as her rant ends. She said too much. She hasn't said enough.

Veronica, of course, breaks the silence. “We're not abandoning her... or you.”

Josie shakes her head, turns on her heel and leaves.

The drawing crumples in her hand.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I love Choni too much. I can't believe I've written like four pieces in the last two weeks. SEND HELP IMMEDIATELY!!  
> (I also lowkey believe the writers won't do the whole storyline any justice and want to compensate beforehand, ok, bye)


End file.
